


Fight or Flight - Voltron Secret Santa 2017

by YoooItsLeigh



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, I really tried, M/M, Pure honest fluff, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, This is for voltron secret santa 2017, Voltron Secret Santa 2017, okay, vldss17
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-19 04:33:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13116108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoooItsLeigh/pseuds/YoooItsLeigh
Summary: Keith remembered the boy walking in. He remembers glancing up from his seat at the end of the table to the brunette walking towards them and looking into the bluest eyes he had ever seen. He remembers Hunk introducing him as Lance. He remembers thinking he knew that name from somewhere. He also remembers his mind turning sour as he looked again at his bright eyes, at the same blue on his wrist.This is my gift for vee-tdc on Tumblr for Voltron Secret Santa 2017. I hope you appreciate it dude.





	Fight or Flight - Voltron Secret Santa 2017

     "Hunk! Hunk!" Lance sprinted down the hallway to his roommate, arriving shirtless in his room. "Look at this!" The boy pointed to his abdomen at  scrawled words in red writing. The handwriting was hard to read and rushed. "It's my soulmate tattoo!"

     "Congrats, dude. You finally got it." Hunk smiled at his friend. He knew how worried Lance was that he would never get his mark. He got his nearly a year later than most and had started to think he didn't have a soulmate. "'I don't hate you.' That's quite a first sentence, huh? Who do you think they are?"

     Lance's smile dropped. Sure, he realized, he has his soulmate tattoo, but now he still has to wait for the actual soulmate.

     "I don't know. I wish I could just know, you know?"

     Hunk rolled his eyes at Lance and turned back to his computer screen, shrugging him off. Hunk had been with his soulmate, Shay, for a little over a year now, meeting her weeks after he got his tattoo and asking her out not too long after. He didn't have to wait. Lance, on the other hand, was tired of waiting. Sighing, he fell softly onto Hunk's bed, wondering who his soulmate could be.

  
     Keith glanced down at his wrist as he pulled on his gloves. The same blue writing that he's looked at everyday for the past year. He never believed in it, the whole soulmate thing, and since the day the blue writing was etched into his skin he's covered it up with the same black, fingerless gloves he's had since he got his bike.

     _It still haunts him_.

     "It's wrong," his mind reminds him every time he sees the blue words. "It was wrong before and it's wrong now."

     It's his anxiety, his fear of rejection. At least according to Shiro, but he knows deep down that its right. It's wrong of him, but he blames those words for why he's all alone. All he can do is hide them and hope for the best.

     Still, 'Are you okay, dude?' is still etched in his brain and he can't help, but wait for those words to come out of the mouth of some unfortunate soul.

  
     Lance looked up at the looming brick building in front of him, backdropped by a cold, gray sky.  It was the week before finals and the parking lot was packed. Every student in Altea Institute was crowded in the under-budgeted space that is the Altea Library. Hunk and Pidge were inside waiting for him and he walked slowly up the steps, pulling his jacket closer to his body.

  _One more week, Lance. One more week and you'll be back home and back to the warmth._

     The thought made him smile and he took the snow-covered steps with large strides.

  
     Keith remembered the boy walking in. He remembers glancing up from his seat at the end of the table to the brunette walking towards them and looking into the bluest eyes he had ever seen. He remembers Hunk introducing him as Lance. He remembers thinking he knew that name from somewhere. He also remembers his mind turning sour as he looked again at his bright eyes, at the same blue on his wrist.

  
     "That's Keith. He's in my English class. He also works here and joined us to study after his morning shift." Lance nodded at Pidge's introduction, knowing well enough who Keith was. He looked over at the boy, hoping to start a conversation with him, and seen the distant look in his eyes as he messed with the strap of his glove. The sad look in his eyes worried Lance.

     "Are you okay, dude?" Keith's eyes shot up to his, looking as if Lance had just shot him. Lance flinched away from him, thinking he had offended him in some way. "I- uh- Sorry."

     Lance turned around and walked over to a seat. Keith continued to watch him throughout the study session, leaving him jumpy the entire time. Hunk and Pidge brushed it off as him being shy and not used to Lance's antics, but Lance knew it was something more.

  
     Keith was still shocked and jittery hours later, walking into his apartment. His wrist seemed to burn. He wanted nothing more than to get the blue writing off of his arm.

     He never really wanted to know who his soulmate was, but that didn't mean he never wondered.Even still, in any situation his mind sought out, Lance McClain was never in any of them. The guy was notorious for his prowess in Altea's astrophysics program and Keith remembered being jealous out of his mind when Nasa came to the school to evaluate him.

     The writing on his wrist bore into his eyes as he peeled off his fingerless gloves. He tossed them onto the kitchen table and headed towards the bathroom, hoping shower water would wash away the worry seeping into his mind. He had grown to like Pidge and Hunk in the short time he knew them, but there was no way he could be friends with them without having at least one conversation with Lance, and once he knew that Keith was his soulmate it was all over.

    _No. I can't let that happen. He deserves so much more than I can give him._

  
     "Lance. Lance! Are you even paying attention to me?" Pidge was sitting across from Lance on the small armchair in their living room.

     "Uh- yeah, totally," Lance said, feigning innocence.

     "Oh really? What were we talking about?"

     "Uh.... Robot-y things?" Hunk laughed at that. Lance blushed in embarrassment.

     "We were talking about the End-of-Semester party Allura is having this weekend, but obviously you aren't interested, so I take it you're not going?" Hunk smirked, knowing Lance wouldn't miss that party for his life.

     "Oh I'm going. You couldn't keep me away from one of Allura's parties. She always throws the best parties and never gets in any trouble," Lance started and his two friends backed up their chairs, ready to retreat, knowing that a full on "I love Allura" rant was coming.

     "As much as I want to continue this conversation," Hunk said, glancing at Pidge and interrupting Lance. "I really gotta get to bed, buddy. You know, class and stuff." Hunk and Pidge shared another look and darted out of the room before Lance could respond.

     "Oh, well goodnight then," Lance called after them, sounding defeated. "I'll go, like, study or something."

     Lance walked down the hall, towards his room. Falling onto his bed, he thought back over the day and the whole Keith situation. Over and over the scenario replayed in his head and yet he still couldn't figure out what he did wrong. He had shrugged it off all day like it didn't bother him, but he really wanted to know what he did to offend Keith so badly.

    The guy was basically his hero when he first got to Altea and he started to see him as his rival in his classes, the two always head-to-head in being the best, but beyond the quantum mechanics and particle physics Lance had grown quite fond of the boy and had found himself pining on multiple occasions. It didn't help that Lance was a lovesick idiot and could never talk to him. To have offended him before even getting to say hi? It was the ultimate slap to the face. He fucked up everything and he didn't even have to try.

    _Wow I'm really fucking great at this. Yet again I fuck everything up._

     Lance would like to say that he didn't lose sleep over this, but he also isn't gonna say he slept at all that night.

  
     Keith couldn't shake his look of dread when Hunk came up to him the next day, but if he noticed, he didn't show it. Instead he went on, having a small conversation with Keith and eventually asking if he was going to Allura's party.  Of course he was. Shiro and Allura always made him. Plus it was at his and Shiro's apartment, yet.... should he? A whole night with Lance? A, most likely, very drunk Lance? That couldn't turn out good.

     "Uh, yeah, I'll be there," Keith told him reluctantly. He wasn't scared. Nope not at all. He just had to stay away from Lance and not say anything stupid. No, scratch that, not say anything at all. If he never spoke to him, Lance will never know he was his soulmate and Lance will get to live his life, always going up while Keith stays on the ground. Keith looked back up at Hunk and said more definitely, "I'll be there."

  
     "So, how's everything going, hijo? I hear you got your soulmate tattoo." Lance could hear his mother's smirk, even over the phone.

     "Si, mamá. Apareció la semana pasada." Lance balanced his phone on his shoulder as he made breakfast, hoping not to burn down the house. He wasn't really much of a chef, that responsibility long since been passed down to Hunk, but he was in a good mood and hoped it would earn him a few extra brownie points.

     "Well who is the mujercita? When do we get to meet her?"

     "Uh, mamá, I don't exactly know. It could be anyone really."

     "Hijo, hijo, ¿por qué no te das cuenta? Well you'll find her soon enough."

    "Oof, what's burning in here?" Lance glanced up to see Pidge walking into the kitchen, wearing none other than Pidgeotto  pajamas. "Yeah that makes sense. Why are you cooking, Lance? I thought Hunk suspended you from stove usage."

     "My stove suspension ended last week. Now let me make pancakes and talk to my mom in peace." Lance shooed them out of the kitchen and went back to his pancake flipping. "Anyways, what were you saying, mamá?"

     "I was saying you need to find that girl, hijo." Every time his mother said 'girl' or 'mujercita' he cringed a little more, knowing it could be a guy as much as a girl. Not that his mother knew that. "Well I have to go take Mateo to track and Lucia to dance. I'll see you next week."

     "Okay, mamá. Love you."

     "I love you too, hijo. Good luck with that girl." Lance hung up the phone and signed. He'd have to come out to his family one day, but today was not that day. Finishing off the pancake stack, Lance sets the plate down on the table, walking out of the room to get Pidge and Hunk, only to find Pidge leaning against the wall by the doorway.

     "You're gonna have to tell them you know? What if your soulmate is a guy? You can't lie to them all your life, Lance."

     "I know, Pidge." Lance shook his head. "You think I want to lie to them? It's so hard to not be able to talk to my mom or my sisters about the person I'm into because it happens to be a guy. I miss being open with them, but I'm scared out of my mind of what they would think of me if I came out." Lance looked down to the floor, willing the tears threatening to fall to stop. Of course he wanted to tell them, but he also didn't want to lose them. "I- I will eventually. I just need time."

     "Just don't waste too much of that time is all I'm saying." With that Pidge turned on their heel and set off to get Hunk while Lance sat down at the kitchen table, trying not to cry.

  
     The morning of the party Keith slept in. He didn't mean to and he really had no problem with helping set up for the party, but that's exactly what Shiro assumed. In his defense he did have three exams the day before and he hadn't slept in 40 hours, but for Shiro that didn't cut it as an excuse.

     It was around noon that Keith finally rolled himself out of bed to find breakfast, only to realize that it was well past breakfast time. As soon as he was out of bed, Shiro was putting him to work.

     Keith stayed in the kitchen most of the day, setting up drink stations and making snacks, while Allura and Matt put out the music set up and Shiro brought in keg after keg. They probably had enough beer for the entire school, but that never stopped them from nearly running out and any of their other parties.

     Hours later, their set up is done and people start to arrive. Keith tries to hide himself in the kitchen, but of course that doesn't work since everyone is coming in for drinks and food.

     "And that's when I go and kick down the door in one foul swoop. BAM! My brother never questioned my art skills, or kicking skills, again." A familiar voice fills the small space and Lance, trailed by some blonde girl, walks in, gesturing wildly. "Anyways, want a drink?" The girl giggles at him. Keith watches as Lance fills two red cups at the keg, the girl accepting hers enthusiastically. He rolls his eyes at them both and tries to duck out of sight. "Oh, hey! Keith!" Lance breaks away for the girl, who now wears a stricken expession, and walks over to Keith's corner of the room. "I just- I wanted to apologize for... well, whatever it is that I did to offend you a few days ago. I didn't mean to hurt you or say anything wrong and I hope you don't take it personal-"

     "LANCE!" a loud voice cut off Lance's ramblings, much to Keith's relief. "Dude! Get over here and show up this scrub." A tall guy was gesturing wildly to Lance, calling him over to the keg where a guy with long platinum was leaning over, struggling to breathe.

     Lance shook his head, smiling, and sauntered over, allowing two guys to hold him upside down, and did a long keg stand. Keith watched for a bit, wondering how a person as gaunt as him could hold so much alcohol, but soon left to hide somewhere.

     If it hadn't been for that guy failing at doing a keg stand, Lance would have expected an answer from him and that answer would have matched whatever Lance's tattoo said.

     "What did I say about hiding out back here?" Shiro stepped through the curtained window into the fire escape where Keith was sitting. "This thing could be unstable. Do you know how old this building is?"

     "I- I just needed a breather. I've been in there all night. It's a bit much."

     "I understand. It is a bit overwhelming. Just don't stay out here all night, Keith." Keith nodded at Shiro and he stepped back into the apartment. As he pulled the curtain aside he could see Lance, now stumbling around, holding onto the top of Pidge's head. Keith shook his head and faced the other way. Over the other buildings he could see a handful of stars poking through the evening sky. After counting them twice, Keith decided to step back into the crowd in his living room.

     Once he made sure Lance wasn't around anywhere, he headed back into the kitchen to get a drink of his own. Of course the exact person he was trying to avoid, was the same person he ran into on his way in.

     "KEEF! BUDDY! I- Oof- I missed youuu!" Lance stumbled his way beside a retreating Keith, the alcohol clear on his breath. His head started to spin as Keith turned around and he followed him towards the hallway. "I wanted to apo- did I tell you sorry yet? I can't remember." His face turned into a pout as he tried to think back to earlier that night. "Anywaysss, mm sorry and I wanna be frienss. Can we be friens, Keef? Pwetty please?"

     Keith didn't realize he had stopped walking and they were now standing in the middle of the crowd. Keith headed back towards the hallway hoping to retreat to his room and abandon Lance, but to no avail. The drunk boy kept a surprisingly fast pace and trailed closely behind Keith.

     Keith reached his room and had the door halfway open when Lance said, "God, I know I fucked shit up, but you could at least give me a chance." He stopped for a second, looking down at the ground, before opening his door the rest of the way and walking in. "Why do you hate me, Keith?"

  
     "I don't hate you." Both boys' eyes widened as Keith spoke. "Shit. I- uh-"

     "W-what did you just say?" Lance froze in utter shock and sputtered out his words. His mind was racing, trying to tie the words on his wrist to the boy standing in front of him. Keith, his 'rival', and the boy he had been in love with for two years, was his soulmate? Keith? Loner, emo, pilot Keith? "You- you're my- what? This isn't real."

     "Why am I such an idiot," Keith mumbled under his breath.

     "You're telling me. Fuck. Did you- did you know?" Keith nodded at Lance and ducked his head, opting to look at the floor rather than the boy. "You did. Fuck."

     Lance seemed to have sobered up fast. Keith watched as he pushed his hand through his hair, grabbing a fistful as if to steady him. He fought down the part of him saying how beautiful that boy looked right then, flustered and in shock. Lance's long lashes fluttered as he blinked his eyes in bewilderment.

  
     "How does stuff like this happen to me," Lance questioned, mumbling.

     "You know if it's such a bad thing you can leave." Anger surged in Keith and deep down he was hurt by what Lance was saying. _You want him to walk away,_ Keith reminded himself. _You don't want a soulmate_.

      "Bad- What? No. This isn't a- no. I'm just shocked at howthis all worked out. I have no problem with you. I'm just... I'm trying to work this all out in my head and... wow. This is..." He trailed off thoughtfully. "I'm rambling aren't I? I do that when I get nervous. It's weird probably. I don't know. I'm always nervous around you. You probably think I'm an idiot. Wow, I'm doing it again. Sorry."     Lance was now pacing around his room, raking his hands through his hair. He was, very obviously, perplexed and Keith couldn't help, but think it was cute. Not that he thought Lance was cute. No. Not at all. Lance was... Lance... and Keith didn't deserve him at all. The boy deserved so much better than Keith and his baggage. It didn't matter anyways. Keith totally didn't want Lance. Nope. No way.

     "Are you- Are you okay?" Keith spoke up, suddenly lacking the courage to do anything. "You look kinda..."

     "Bewildered? Flabbergasted? Distraught? Taken aback?"

     "Yeah, that. Do you want, I don't know, something to drink or something? Want to sit down? You look like you need a breather or something." Keith was visibly worried for the boy. His tan skin looked red and splotchy and Keith was sure he was sweating bullets in his button up. Now that he thought about it, it was really hot, stiflingly so.

     "I'm fine. Just shook up." Lance stopped pacing the fan himself with his hand, before continuing on in his circle.

     "Understandably so. Look, maybe you should sit down." Keith gestured to his bed and Lance stopped pacing once more and ambled over to sit on his mattress.

     Lance pasted on his signature smirk, although at this point it looked a lot more like a grimace, and said, "You know, if you wanted me in your bed, you could've just asked in the first place." Keith rolled his eyes, but Lance seen how his face heated up before he averted his gaze.

     "That's it. Get out."

     "Sorry, sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood a bit." Lance bit at his lip in thought. "Do you want me to just go? Have I crossed the line?"

     Keith was quiet for awhile before he nodded. "Maybe you should."

  
     Lance left, silently cursing himself. He walked down the hall, back to the dwindling crowd. He searched the room for Pidge and Hunk, finding them by the front door waiting. If they could tell he was upset, neither said anything and they left without a word.

     Lance woke up the next morning with a groan. His whole body hurt and his head was groggy. Alcohol was never his friend, and each time he woke up like this he swore it would be the last. Of course it never stuck and he always went back to his old ways.

     The smell of food was wafting from the kitchen and Lance slipped on his blue lion slippers and headed towards it. Hunk was in the kitchen making his signature hangover cure while Pidge sat at the table with a large cup of coffee and their head on the table. The frost outside was apparent on the windows and Lance dreaded having to go out in that snow to go to the airport the next day.

     For now, though, he didn't have to worry about it. He finally had a day off after the long semester and, on top of it, he didn't have to work until he got back. He was determined to make this day a great one.

     "Good morning, sleeping beauty," Lance said, poking Pidge in the side playfully.

     "Do that again and you won't have that finger," they said, muffled by their arms around their head. "Don't test me, Lance."

Lance flinched away from them, the tone of their voice sounding much scarier than that of a 4 foot 11, gender-fluid, child. He walked over to Hunk, instead, and peeked over his shoulder at the food he was making.

     "Shoo. Let me cook." Hunk swatted away Lance's hand as he reached for a piece of bacon off the plate. Lance rolled his eyes, before walking into the living room and falling onto the couch in false exasperation.

     "Nobody in this house appreciates me," he whined from under his arm. Hunk shook his head at the display and continued cooking, while Pidge didn't move an inch.

     The day continued on and Lance found himself walking back into Allura's café. It was the third timethat day. At the counter, Matt seemed ready for him, handing him a large espresso with a mocha shot and a scone almost immediately. Lance paid and sat at a tall table across the room. He was so focused on his drink that Lance didn't see the boy across the room.

  
     He was sprawled out on a sofa with a physics book in his lap, trying unsuccessfully to make sense of any of it. His long hair was tied back into a small ponytail and he was wearing a red flannel over a black t-shirt and ripped jeans. As he pushed his book off of his lap in exasperation, and got up to get another coffee from the counter, he spotted Lance on his phone at the table.

     His fight or flight response kicked in and after grabbing his drink and hurriedly packing up his books and notebooks, he fled for the door. He hadn't realized how quickly Lance could finish a cup of coffee, though, and the two boys ran right into each other. Coffee poured down Keith's shirt and anger flared in his eyes as Lance stumbled backwards, appologizing. Lance looked up at the boy and freezes before retelling his string of appologies, this time looking close to tears and even more guilty than before. Keith's expression unwillingly softened and he began to feel bad for the boy. He looked genuinely sorry.

     "Lance..."

     "..Fuck. I'm so so sorry. I- God- I'm so-"

     "Lance."

     "Sorry. Like hell. God I fucked up. You probably hate m-"

     "Lance!" Lance stopped talking. "Stop appologizing! It's fine."

    "Are you sure, because I really fucked up and-"

     "I literally just said stop apologizing."

     "You're right. You're right. Sorry." Keith groaned in exasperation. Lance gave him an apologetic smile and the two quietly laughed. Matt was watching the two from his spot behind the counter and smirked.

     "Hey Lance! If you really want to appologize, you should get him a new drink. You should also heavily tip the barista because now he has to clean up that mess."

     "Matt's right," Lance said, turning his attention back to Keith. "I should get you a new drink."

     "Don't worry about it. It was like my fourth one anyways. I don't need anymore caffeine." Lance scoffed.

     "You think that's too much caffeine?" He pointed to his own empty, and now crushed, cup. "This is my fifth cup-"

     "Sixth," Matt corrected, busying himself with finding a mop.

      "-sixth cup today and I was heading to grab another. Four's nothing." Keith laughed and watched as Lance paid Matt for another cup of coffee. As he handed it to Keith, his expression got serious again. "I really am sorry. Not just for this, but for everything."

     "That's not necessary. You never did anything wr-"

     "Except I did," Lance said, cutting Keith off. "I ruined everything last night. I always fuck stuff up."

     "You didn't- No. You didn't do anything wrong. If anything I did. Last night- We were both being drunk idiots and we were both dealing with that stuff. Nobody was thinking right. I shouldn't have told you to leave over a stupid joke."

     "But I-"

     "Hey, guys? I hate to interrupt your moment, but can you move outta the way. People want through the door and I need to mop." Matt was tapping his foot against the linoleum, mop in hand, waiting for their response. They moved away from the door and awkwardly looked at each other, the previous moment gone. They both had no idea what to do now.

     "So, uh.."

     "Yeah..."

     "Were you- Are you- Do you need to leave? That's kinda what you were doing before right?" Keith didn't know how to repond, having no explanation for why he was in such a rush to leave before. He couldn't tell Lance he was trying to avoid him, especially after what just happened.

      "Oh... I, uh.. Yeah I should probably go."

     "Heading anywhere special?" Keith was surprised at the Lance's obvious attempt to keep a conversation, but he found himself wanting to stick around and talk to Lance as well. In fact, he now realized, his flighty nature seemed to have vanished after bumping into Lance.

     "I was probably gonna head home, but i kinda wanna go to the planetarium.... Want to-Want to maybe join me?" Keith tried to hide his hopefulness, but his desire to hang out with Lance was shockingly high.

     "Uh, yeah, totall- I mean, uh, yeah. Sure. Whatever." Keith laughed at his faked nonchalant attitude and the two walked out of the cafe together and towards the other side of campus.

     Maybe it was just the coffee, but Keith could tell that Lance was jittery the entire walk. He couldn't blame him, though, seeing as he was just as jumpy. He tried to relax and enjoy the snow and Christmas lights across campus, but it was hard when his entire body was full of electricity caused by the boy standing next to him. Lance gave him this unexpected energy and, for once in his life, he was happy right where he was. A small part of his mind was still screaming at him to get away from the boy, that soulmates were nothing but trouble, that none of this was real and he was going to get hurt, but he ignored it for the time being and let himself get lost in the blue-eyed boy.

     Lance's nose was red his lips were chapped, but that didn't make him any less beautiful in that moment. The setting sun was shining, golden and blazing, in his eyes and the cold brought freckles to his face.

     Time seemed to freeze as the two looked into each other's eyes. As the sun dipped under the horizon, Lance laced his fingers with Keith's. The cold was long forgotten to Keith, Lance's touch setting his heart and body on fire.

  
     Lance's heart was beating out of his chest. Where he got the courage to grab Keith's hand, he had no idea, but seeing Keith in all of his indigo-eyed gloriousness set his heart on fire and it just felt right.

     Looking into Keith's eyes was like looking at the stars during an asteroid shower. He was still in awe and wonder and it took every ounce of will in his body not to kiss that boy right then. He was falling for him, hard, and he knew this could go no good way, and yet he still laced his fingers with Keith's and walked with him towards the planetarium.

     As a gray sky turned to navy and stars started to dot the opposite horizon, the two boys walked through the wide double doors of the Altea Institute observatory. On the other side of the building was the larger planetarium that was open to all astrophysics students on campus.

      Both boys had a key and fumbled for it, Keith finding his first and unlocking the door with a triumphant look. The mechanics had been left on and there was a galaxy of stars surrounding them as they walked in. There was plush red chairs adjacent the walls, but they passed them up, heading to a box of blankets that the student refill each semester.

      The group of scholars were tight-knit, to say the least, and had meeting once a month about their business on campus, like the observatory and planetarium upkeep. Everyone in that major knew each other, or at least of each other, and everyone worked well together.

     The two laid a blanket in the middle of the large room and looked up from the floor at the swirling paradigm of stars surrounding them. It was like a dream, laying next to a breathtaking boy in his favourite place. It was perfect.

  
     Laying next to Lance, underneath a blanket of the universe, Keith felt better than he had in a long time. It felt fitting. It felt right. Lance's face was a mask of excitement and wonder and, in that moment, even the stars weren't as breathtaking as his smile. He was so beautiful it hurt. He took Lance's hand into his own once more and as Lance looked into his eyes he felt it. His heart skipped a beat at his smile and he felt like he found his place in the world. Wherever this boy was was where he wanted to be.

     It was such a strange thing, their relationship. A few nights ago he was entirely against having a soulmate in any form, but now  he's head-over-heels for the boy behind the blue writing on his wrist.

     After what feels like forever, Lance's phone breaks the sweet silence between them.

     "Sorry," Lance says, wincing, before answering the phone. "Yeah? I'm at- Yeah I know I have to- Okay, okay! Lance was pacing by the exit, punching the bridge of his nose, obviously frustrated. "Dude, calm down. I'll be home in a bit, I guess... Whatever you say. I- I don't know how soon. Just give me a bit, bro. Yeah, yeah. Bye." Lance hung up his phone. He was fuming and threw his phone back down before sitting on the blanket.

     "So I guess you got to go?" Lance rolled his eyes and shook his head.

     "Fuck him. I'd much rather be here." Lance took Keith's hand in his own and smiled at him before laying down on his back. Keith smiled back and laid down as well.

  
     The call with Hunk had left him on edge, but the tension in his limbs melted away under Keith's touch. How this happened, he had no clue, but somehow something turned out for him. He felt like the universe was smiling down on him instead of tripping him up like normal.

      He felt like he was right where he was supposed to be, laying next to the boy of his dreams. This was his place in the world.

     How did his stupid crush turn into this? How did his hopeless pining turn into head-over-heels love? He had no idea how it happened, but what he did know is that he's glad it did. 

**Author's Note:**

> Okay wow hi. Welcome to the end. How's it feel? Good? Bad? Underwhelming? Yeah Idk. Um... so I spent the last month or so writing this and even though it only turned out to be 5k words, I hope that's okay. I kinda like it more than my current fic but that's okay. I'm not really sure how to feel about the end but it exists so... yeah. Anyways, Merry Christmas to vee-tdc and whoever else might be reading this. :)


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